May 1, 1839 , two Polish immigrants , Antoni Patek ( Businessman ) and Franciszek Czapek ( Watchmaker ) in Geneva have jointly established a "Patek, Czapek & Cie" . Mr. Patek met in 1844 in Paris, the French watchmaker Adrien Mr. Philippe. At the time, Mr. Adrien Philippe demonstrated his groundbreaking arbor string and use the crown to set the time of the system . In 1845 , when Czapek decided to leave the company to continue their careers , the company changed its name to "Patek & Cie". After 1851 , Mr. Philippe officially added to the company , the company changed its name to "Patek Philippe & Cie". Later , in 1901, again renamed "Ancienne Manufacture d'Horlogerie Patek Philippe & Cie, SA". It has a fine Geneva, dial factory two brothers Charles and Jean Stern bought the company in 1932. Since then "Patek Philippe SA" has been a family business. In 2009, the management of the company formally passed by the third -generation heir to the fourth generation heir : Mr. Thierry Stern as president , and his father, Mr. Philippe Stern acted as honorary president .